The present invention is directed to the art field relating to portable fans. Typically, such devices take the format of a flashlight assembly having a fan head mounted at the top end as opposed to a light, and wherein the casing contains a pair of batteries to electrically operate the fan. The typical use for such device is to evacuate odors, smoke, or other deleterious substances from the immediate environment of the user thereof. It is appreciated, however, that such portable fans are used for a variety of purposes.
The present invention recognizes as an additional use for such portable fans the provision of cooling capability for the operator where the operator counters hot or very warm conditions. Typical applications would be sun-bathers, or perhaps other persons finding themselves in a work environment which is warm or hot, and sporting activities
A typical portable cooling misting fan is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,106, which is owned by the inventor herein. Pursuant to the description contained in the aforementioned patent, there is provided a portable misting fan which is in a self-contained unit, and is elongate in configuration such as to accommodate the provision therein of a fluid reservoir, and an extended neck portion having at the top end, a fan along with an atomizing head. As described therein, fluid is pumped from the fluid reservoir upwardly to the atomizing head which is located below the fan and as fluid is extracted from the atomizing head, the fan, which is located behind a baffle, blows the fluid onto the body of the operator. The present invention is an improvement thereover, in that various features have been changed in order to make the portable cooling fan and misting unit more efficient and therefore, more cooling in the effects realized therefrom.
Hence, the present invention relates to a portable misting fan which may be formed as an integral unit, and further includes a connector which permits the unit to be attached directly to a fluid reservoir, such as a typical bottle having a screw-threaded neck. In this format, the portable misting fan of the present invention has far greater portability and use since the entire cooling unit including the fan and atomizing head, and related accessories in order to cause the atomizer and fan to operate may be connected to any typical screw-threaded necked bottle and be useful for the purpose intended.